


A Storm Rolls In (To Stay) [Redux]

by InkandFire98



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Has Panic Attacks, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Claustrophobia, Eventual LAMP - Freeform, Except maybe Remus, He's mostly just Nasty, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Remus is nasty ya'll, Rewrite of existing fic, Slow Burn, Snake Imagery, Spider Imagery, Swearing, Sympathetic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides), Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Warnings May Change, it doesnt last tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkandFire98/pseuds/InkandFire98
Summary: Virgil had spent most of his life as a Dark Side, but when he runs away and ends up in the consciousness where he meets the Main Sides, where can his path possibly lead?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Storm Rolls In (To Stay)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19940500) by [InkandFire98](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkandFire98/pseuds/InkandFire98). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil pops into existence. Worst. Decision. Ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this may look familiar to some people, which is because it is! I am rewriting my own fic because I wrote myself into a corner and realized I honestly didn't want to continue down the road I had been going. So here we go again from the beginning! Now with even more Sympathetic Deceit!
> 
> ~Ink
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> Blood  
> Injury  
> Blood Licking  
> Implied Masochism

Virgil gasped as everything suddenly burst to life around him. His chest ached as his heart pounded against his ribs, his lungs heaving trying desperately to draw in a breath. Panicked, Virgil shot to his feet and looked around him. Twisted black trees surrounded him, and a suffocating black fog was starting to roll in. His chest tightened even more as he heard a deep growl come from the depths of the fog. He tried to run, but his body felt completely paralyzed from fear. A thought suddenly hit him, he’d only been alive for moments, and he was already going to die! Something grabbed his wrist from behind him, and Virgil had barely enough sense to look at what was grabbing him. It was a man in a black hat and cape, his yellow glove gripping firmly to Virgil’s wrist. Virgil could only see half his face but the other man looked almost as scared as he felt.

“Come with me! You can trust me!” Virgil’s eyes widened but he nodded and allowed himself to be yanked deeper into the forest. The fog eventually dispersed and Virgil realized that as they ran the forest was getting thinner but darker at the same time. Eventually, the trees were gone entirely only to be replaced by pitch blackness. The man in the hat stopped and let go of Virgil’s arm, only to double over, gasping.

“Hey, are you okay?” Virgil asked, worried for his savior.” The man held up one gloved finger as he continued to breathe.

“Totally… Fine… I run… Like that... Every day…” The man said between deep breaths. Virgil raised an eyebrow.

“Uh-huh sure. I believe that.” He said, watching the other wheeze. Eventually the other straightened and wiped some sweat off his face. He turned to face him and Virgil recoiled. The man’s face… It was half-covered in scales, and his mouth stretched way too far on one side. “What the fuck…” Virgil whispered, unable to look away, fear spiking through him. The snake man flinched and an angry look came over his face.

“Oh yes, you should be terrified. I’m incredibly dangerous, which is why I saved your life from that monster and brought you into my home.” He hissed and waved a hand behind him. A light flickered on and revealed an area of the dark void that sported two wooden doors, a dirty, beat-up, couch, and an equally messy looking kitchen under what looked like a single hanging light bulb. Virgil flushed, embarrassed.

“I um… I’m sorry… I just don’t know you… I got scared.” He mumbled, balling up his fists in the fabric of his simple black t-shirt.

The man bent into an exaggerated bow. “Deceit, at your service, little one. And don't worry, it’s completely forgotten. For future reference, judging others based on appearances is generally frowned upon. Now then, do you have a name or should I continue to refer to you as the little one in my head?” Virgil wrinkled his nose.

“Uh, no that’s ok. I think my name is Virgil.” He said and smiled a little. The name felt right on his tongue.

“Well then Virgil, welcome to my magnificent domain, where only the finest is housed.” Virgil opened his mouth about to make a comment when suddenly a black and green blur launched itself at Deceit.

“DEE!” The blur screamed and tackled Deceit to the ground. Deceit hissed angrily and pushed the now visible teenager off of him. “Hey, where did you go?! Did you get past the smoke?! Did you see RoRo?! Also, I accidentally blew up the microwave again.” Rambled the teen, now flat on his ass. Deceit groaned and picked himself up, brushing dirt off his cape.

“Ah, Remus… You know I love it when you use the kitchen alone… Also please keep calling me that delightful nickname.” Deceit said, his voice sickeningly sweet and fake. “Anyway, get up. We have company.” The teenager, Remus, finally seemed to notice Virgil standing awkwardly above them and jumped up from the ground. He was a little taller than Virgil with sickly green eyes and just the barest wisps of a mustache growing on his lip. He was dressed in an ostentatious green and black outfit that looked like a cheap ren-faire costume. Virgil almost had a cutting remark formulated when he noticed the huge mace strapped to Remus's side.  
“Oooooooh Dee where did you find this sweet piece of forbidden fruit?” Remus asked, grabbing Virgil’s hand. “I’ve always wanted a little brother! Do you like deodorant? You look like a mothball flavor kind of kid! I'm partial to pickled poo log myself but once Dee steals another microwave we can taste a bunch and figure out what’s your favorite!” Remus grinned at him flashing crooked yellow teeth.

“Um… What do you mean, ‘flavor’?” Virgil asked, trying to wriggle his hand out of the death grip Remus had on him.

“Now, now, Remus, Virgil is going to be living with us. I don’t want you bothering him with your shenanigans.” Deceit said with a sigh, looking to all the world like a stressed parent.

“Awww Dee, you know I’d never hurt this adorable little shadowling! I’m saving my best material for when we get out of here.” Remus crooned, pulling Virgil into a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of Virgil’s head. Virgil tried in vain to push away from the suffocating hold Remus had on him as panic surged through him for the second time in a day. He couldn’t breathe, Remus was crushing him! Tears sprung to his eyes as the fear of death once again settled in his gut. He scrambled for any way to escape Remus’s clutches and felt his hand close around something hard. Thinking maybe it was that mace he’d seen, Virgil slammed the object upwards hoping to bruise a rib. He wasn’t expecting the downright scream that tore its way out of Remus’s throat. Virgil fell on his butt as Remus suddenly pushed him away. He looked up at the obnoxious teen and gasped. Remus was gripping his side, a bright red liquid seeping through his fingers, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

“You stabbed me!” Remus gasped. Virgil opened his mouth to defend himself when he suddenly noticed the thing in his hand. It wasn’t the handle of the mace as he had thought, but instead was a simple dagger with a completely black blade. He gasped and threw the weapon away from him, but as soon as it left his hand the dagger dissipated into a puff of black smoke.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” He sobbed as Deceit rushed to Remus’s side. Oh god, Deceit was going to kill him, he was going to get thrown back into that forest as food for that monster.

“Are you kidding!? That was awesome!” Remus cried. Virgil looked up and gaped at Remus’s huge smile. “What was that thing! That was even better than what I usually get! Oh and the rush! Whooo!” Deceit rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Remus, you should hope there aren’t bandages. Cause if you’ve been using them for wounds again, I’ll hesitate in killing you.” Deceit growled and stormed into one of the black doors. Virgil was so confused. He’d barely been alive an hour and he already missed the quiet blackness of nonexistence.

“Is he ok?” Virgil asked, trying to focus on the simplest question first.

“Who Deceit? Oh yeah, he’s fine. When he’s all stressed out like that he can’t tell the truth. Honestly, it's kinda funny watching him struggle to talk right!” Remus cackled. He took his hand away from the wound in his side and grinned. “Hey, Dee said your name was Virgil right?”

“Um yeah…” Virgil responded apprehensively.

“Well, Virge. You still haven’t told me how you did that!” Remus said and popped a blood-soaked finger into his mouth. Virgil stared at Remus, afraid both to look away and continue watching as Remus literally licked his hand clean.

“What the fuck…”

“No come on you gotta tell me! And how’d you make me feel like that?!”

“Like what?!” Virgil cried, terrified that he had caused some permanent damage to this man.

“Kid, it was amazing! I thought I was gonna die! Like I was actually scared of you! I’ve literally never been more turned on! Too bad it didn’t last very long...” Virgil grabbed his head, confusion and stress forming a killer headache behind his eyes. He looked around frantically. There had to be somewhere for him to hide! A rumble echoed through the darkness and a third door joined the other two forming a semi-circle around the living area. Following pure instinct, Virgil bolted for the door, opened it, and slammed it shut behind him. He leaned up against the door as the day caught up with him all at once. On autopilot, Virgil crawled onto the plain black bed that dominated the tiny room. Pulling the sheet over his head, he tried to figure out what had just happened. Virgil took a deep breath and tried to sort out what he knew as facts.

His name was Virgil, he had woken up in a dark forest where a shadow monster had tried to kill him, he had been saved by a snake man called Deceit, who’d brought him to a place that could probably give you all kinds of diseases if you touched anything, where a crazily dressed guy called Remus nearly squeezed him to death, who he then stabbed with a knife that didn’t exist anymore, and now he was hiding in a room that had appeared out of nowhere.

Virgil hugged his knees to his chest. He was slightly calmer after sorting out his thoughts. But one thought still bothered him immensely…

Who was Thomas?


	2. Wolf in Emo's Clothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil contemplates purpose, Remus greatly disapproves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this has taken so long! I hit a really bad stretch of writer's block during quarantine and could not muster up any will to write anything! Thankfully I am getting back into the swing of things again! I hope people like this chapter! - Ink
> 
> Warnings for this chapter:  
> Internalized Homophobia  
> Spider Imagery

Virgil eventually figured out who Thomas was. Thomas was them. A sum of all the pieces they each stood for. And Thomas was the one they had to protect. Every side had his purpose within that goal, at least that’s what Deceit said. 

“So how will I know my purpose?” Virgil had asked only a little while after joining the sides. 

“It’s not at all complicated, and definitely something I can just tell you. You won’t know it even if you feel it.” Deceit said with a shrug. “Unlike me. I don’t know that my purpose is to protect Thomas’s self-interests. I have never manipulated things from behind the scenes. I am still totally in the dark.” Virgil had frowned at that. Deceit’s double talk aside, purpose sounded like something he should already know about himself. 

It took another week for Virgil to understand Deceit's words. He and Remus had just left the subconscious, the dark place they all resided in, and were heading to the long term memory to scavenge some furniture for their living room.

“Hey, Remus. What’s your purpose?” Virgil asked, suddenly breaking the silence that had surrounded them.

“Uhg, have you been listening to Janny again?” Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. “Look, that snake just wants his life to have meaning, or whatever. I haven't got any kind of purpose anymore and look at me! I’m great!” He said with a crooked grin.

“Anymore? What does that mean?” Remus flinched and looked away.

“Look if I tell you will you let it go?”

“Probably not. But I definitely won't let it go until you tell me.” Virgil smirked. Remus glared at him, his fingers twitching for his mace. 

“Or I could just knock you out so you leave me the hell alone.”

“But then who will help you carry back the furniture?” Remus grit his teeth but dropped his hand away from his mace. 

“Uhg, fine! My purpose was Creativity.” He said then turned his back on Virgil. “God, you’re annoying.”

“But wait… If you were Creativity why the hell are we going all the way to long term memory to get furniture. Can’t you just make some?”

“Does this look like the Imagination to you?” Remus growled, gesturing to the edge of the twisted forest they were skirting along. Virgil looked around.

“Uh no?”

“Exactly! Until that damn smoke monster fucks off and lets me back into the Imagination, I can’t create a damn thing. Now come on. No more questions.” He said and stalked forward. Virgil bit his lip. He really wanted to know more, but when Remus was in one of his moods things got scary quick. So he followed Remus quietly, questions still burning in his head. Eventually, they made it to the memory, a quiet hallway full of gray, translucent doors. 

“Look for the oldest stuff. Thomas barely misses Aunt Patty’s old couch from when he was six.” 

“You got that couch from Aunt Patty?” Virgil asked, thinking about the beaten up old loveseat that dominated their tiny living room.

“Well I spruced it up a bit but you know!” Remus said, throwing open one of the doors. “Awww little Tommy’s first play! Man, that was great! We practiced that thing for hours and only had one line!” The Duke laughed. Virgil poked his head through the memory door. There in black and white was Thomas, maybe 8 years old, and dressed like a giant turkey. “Man there were so many times I almost screamed, ‘Oh just freaking eat me already!’ to those pilgrims and Indians! But well, Roman didn't like that, so I had to stick to the script… Would have been way funnier if I’d written it.”

“Roman?” 

“Oh yeah, my br-” Remus cut off. “Nobody. My nobody. Come on Virge, find us a new microwave. Oh and maybe we can spring for a coffee pot! Dee loves him some coffee! And caffeine makes my eyeballs tingle!” Remus said and slammed the door shut. Virgil’s brow furrowed but he decided not to invoke Remus’s wrath today. He looked around the hallway trying to figure out which door might lead to a kitchen. One door caught his eye, it was a very light gray, much lighter than the other doors around it. Virgil's gut tingled uncomfortably. A feeling flooded through him as he reached out towards the door. His hand grasped the knob and the tingling became a horrible clenching feeling. Something was very wrong with Thomas. He wrenched open the door and ran in. Instantly he knew he was inside a memory, but it wasn't the same black and white vision Remus had shown him before. This one was in dull unsaturated color. But color nonetheless. A recent memory then. Virgil glanced around and caught sight of Thomas. He wasn't much older than Remus appeared, maybe 17, and at a party with some friends. The twisting feeling in Virgil's gut tightened. Thomas was grinning at his friends and sipping some punch out of a red cup. That's when Virgil saw him. Hayden, a guy from Thomas' chemistry class. He caught Thomas' eye instantly and the twisting in Virgil's gut started to hurt. Hayden had brown hair like Thomas, but his was cropped short and styled in soft-looking curls. His eyes were a beautiful moss green that shimmered in the sunlight. The feeling inside Virgil became so intense he doubled over not even noticing the colors in the room becoming more and more vibrant. 

"Thomas?" Hayden asked his smile wide and inviting. "Are you trying out for the play this fall?" A trill of something ran up Virgil's spine. A feeling he couldn't entirely explain. Thomas's face turned slightly pink as he laughed. 

"Yeah, I am." The feeling tightened around Virgil's heart and he realized with dread what it was. Infatuation. Oh fuck. Thomas liked this boy… No no no no no this couldn’t happen. Even he knew how the outside world thought about those that were queer… He couldn't let anything like that happen to Thomas. No, he wouldn't let this happen. Thomas would forgive him eventually. Virgil blinked as his vision doubled, then quadrupled and a hiss drew itself out of his mouth. His teeth lengthened into fangs and long spindly shadows in the shape of spider legs sprung from his back. Hayden was a danger to Thomas, and Virgil had to protect him from danger. 

"Deceit!" Virgil shouted, his voice loud and echoed around the mindscape. The snake-like side popped into the memory instantly.

"Oh my…" He whispered, but Virgil ignored him. 

"Thomas is in danger." He hissed, black shadows dripping out of his mouth like poison. "We have to _protect_ him." Deceit took in their surroundings and seemed to notice the boy. 

"Ah. Well, Virgil. I will sssee what I can do." Deceit hissed and a forked tongue peeked out from behind sharp teeth. "Looksssss like you have no purposssse after all." He said, his smile stretching far past his lips before he sank down and disappeared. Virgil blinked all 8 of his eyes and looked down at his new form. Deceit was right. He did have a purpose. The words came freely now. Fight or Flight, Self-Preservation, Panic, Anxiety. That is what he was for Thomas. He knew what was best and had to protect Thomas from the things that could hurt him. Virgil sunk out of the memory, the black ooze of his venom staining the fading color. He felt the adrenaline start to fade out of Thomas' system as Deceit fed him sweet lies and denial, and the fear he had manifested before sank back below his skin. Everything was going to be fine… Thomas was safe. Thomas would forgive him. He'd probably forget all about that boy and stay safe and normal. There was no need to call any more attention to himself. Virgil sighed and sank into his room. He felt drained, and could barely muster up the energy to feel bad about leaving Remus behind. Oh well, the other side probably wasn't that mad.


End file.
